Social Media Marketing for Digital Photographers

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WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA?

Remember posting fl yers on telephone polls or on community

boards at the library to get the word out about your services—

or something you had for sale? Well, yes, these fl yers are a

type of media and they are a way to reach out to a community,

so I suppose they’re technically a form of social media. But

this isn’t what we’re talking about here.

There are now much better ways to reach people who might

be interested in what you’ve got. Ways that aren’t limited to

those who happen to walk by. And these new tools offer your

audience a chance to reach back, so to speak, and interact

with you and each other online and on demand. These are the

tools we’re referencing when we use the term social media.

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I know it can get confusing, so allow me to explain the difference between the two types

of communication we’ve mentioned so far. The term media, in a traditional sense, refers

to relatively static, one-way modes of communication that broadcast information to a

large population of people. We’re talking about conventional marketing and PR tools like

tv advertising, billboards, print ads, newspaper placement, and even the aforementioned

fl yers along with other formats that have been used for many generations to send out

news and messaging.

But convention is changing. No longer are consumers paying attention to the self-serving

proclamations of businesses with stuff to sell. It’s so “last year” for companies to tell us

what we need ... at their convenience. A new savvier marketplace is comprised of people

who make purchase decisions based heavily on information they seek out, primarily on

the Internet—on demand.

In this and other ways, social media represents a dramatic shift in how we, as both

marketers and consumers, deliver and receive information. Digital tools are opening

fantastic opportunities for highly engaged interaction among people—in real time. That

is, social media participants can comment, share, bookmark, vote, and more on

whatever topic is being addressed. Or they can begin a whole new line of discussion if

interested enough.

This means that you can listen, discuss, and engage in relationship-building on the

Internet, through sites that you can also use to provide news and updates about yourself

and/or your business. It’s like simultaneously being in many different places—coffee

shops, conferences, networking events, etc.—and having conversations with all of your

different communities.

And truly, this is a luxury that customers have come to expect now that so many

companies are using online connectivity to reach and engage their markets. Customers

insist on receiving information that actually matters to them, information that can help

them make smart decisions. They expect to be able to reach back and have their

questions and concerns addressed quickly.

Thus, the digital market interaction of social media allows and even encourages

unrestricted discussion, an unstructured sharing of ideas and opinions. And this is the

backbone of social media’s evolution. It’s alive and growing every single day.

2 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS


The 2.0 Evolution

The web is constantly evolving without too much fanfare, but there was a signifi cant

shift at the turn of this century, when collaborative, social sharing and networking

tools gradually emerged to allow for widespread user interaction, collaboration, and

content development.

We refer to this shift as Web 2.0, which differs from Web 1.0—a more traditional

communication platform that projected information to audiences without offering an

opportunity to actively engage. Yet, instead of an actual technical upgrade, the term

Web 2.0 describes how developers and users now approach and utilize the Internet.

During the web’s infancy, its 1.0 phase, information was created by publishers and

distributed to readers. It was essentially a read-only era. Well, Web 2.0 democratized the

Internet, making it much more vibrant and valuable. I mean, think about some of today’s

most popular websites. Facebook would be a mere shell without its users and their

updates. Wikipedia wouldn’t be half the resource it is if no one added information to it.

Users dominate today’s Internet. So savvy brand message-makers are moving away from

the fl uff and spin of yesteryear and trying instead to truly integrate messaging with the

wants and needs of consumers to develop an effective public presence. At minimum, this

requires authentic communications; meaningful information; and room for comments, a

power to vote, or a place to make suggestions.

Yet, of course, conventional media

is not obsolete. My girlfriend has a

corkboard with coupon clippings,

and it’s updated constantly.

Companies just need to learn

how to incorporate social media

platforms into their marketing

mix. But it’s just a matter of time

before check-in programs (like

FourSquare) will provide coupons

right on a mobile phone when its

user is nearby.

3CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA?


Dynamic Marketing

Social media is all about interaction—it’s your

dialogue with your network and their interaction

with each other. The following three actions will

help you use social media effectively:

• Listen to what your audience is saying. What do they need, want, dislike?

• Engage with people through genuine conversation (not solicitation).

• Evaluate your efforts with analytic programs.

We’ll dive deeper into these three actions later in the book. For now, just know that

building relationships through social media—or anywhere for that matter—is increasingly

important to the future of your business. But it’s a two-way street. Business relationships

require meaningful dialogue with your market, because promotional monologue feels like

spam in most every format.

This is why the term social media can be confusing. By defi nition, media, a tool for

communicating to large groups of people, is social—technically. But, as mentioned earlier,

this word has traditionally referred to one-way blasts of information that are crafted for the

masses. Good marketers are catching on quickly though. Consumers have a voice, too,

and they want companies to hear what they’re saying.

A common misconception is that

asking clients to Like a Facebook

page means automatic social

engagement. In this particular

situation, the display board for this

boutique fl orist neither gives the

URL for its page (or a QR code). It

also fails to offer a reason to Like

them in the fi rst place. The request

would be more appealing if it tried to

engage with its potential audience

by asking, for example, for people

to “name their favorite fl ower.” Or

better, “submit a photo of your

favorite fl ower” and have a chance

at being immortalized on the walls of

the shop.

Talk with your clients—

not at them.



Even televised commercials are getting on board. Many are no longer running with “Buy

this!” Instead, the message is more like a request: “Tell us what you think at facebook.

com/[company-name]!” or “Upload your video here! [link]”

An example of a successful social media marketing campaign is Canon’s Project Imagin8ion,

which asks people to submit their photographic inspirations via youtube.com/imagination.

The program encourages viewers to visit Canon’s YouTube Channel to interact and

subscribe. This builds a relationship with users in a competitive environment. Who

doesn’t love a good contest?

As a company, Canon has adapted to a world

with social media. Instead of just prompting

people to buy a Canon product, this campaign

asks people to explain how Canon inspires

them—and ultimately Ron Howard. The answers

come in as photos … ideally from a Canon

camera. And if you don’t own a Canon, maybe

the inspiring photos in the competition will

convince you to switch.

Use this strategy when creating

your social media content. Focus

less on “Hire me!” and more on

“Tell me how I can help or inspire

you.” Encourage response! That

can facilitate some very valuable

relationships.

Also make it fun for your audience

to converse among themselves.

You can gain some very valuable

insight to what they want and

need from you as they explore a

topic or debate an issue. Tune in

to this and then deliver!

Project Imagin8ion: Here is a Ron Howard

production based on eight submitted photos.

Project Imagin8ion: The contest is very interactive. Users may upload

photos, vote for people, have conversations, critique or commend

submissions, and ask questions about how certain shots were taken.



Earning Trust

Obviously, trust is a really big deal in business. No one hopes to get swindled. And since

anyone can create a website or blog nowadays—for free and within minutes—how does

a person know if the content they’re reading is accurate, given the lack of fi lters and

qualifi cation checks on the Internet?

Indeed, earning online consumer trust can be diffi cult for some businesses. But it’s a fairly

straightforward process. Here’s the secret: be truthful; don’t intentionally mislead others.

And ultimately, it helps to accept the fact that all you can do is provide good information

and trust folks to make the right decisions for themselves.

Along those lines, when developing a social media program—or any communication

campaign for that matter—it’s important to realize that no matter how great the

information is that you provide, the one entity consumers tend to trust most is other

consumers. So let’s take a peek at a company that has successfully harnessed this

social paradigm: Amazon. Its customer rating and suggestion system demonstrates

unprecedented trust in its customers.

That is, the Amazon site allows anyone to write and read honest reviews about every

product it offers. It even suggests other titles one may enjoy based on a given search.

Even more, Amazon provides information on its competitors who may be offering the

same product at a cheaper price! If this isn’t a display of genuine trust in the marketplace,

I don’t know what is.

And despite the perilous effect of a negative review in the old days of single-source

expert-written book reviews in a magazine or newspaper, in today’s online marketplace,

truthful feedback by consumers generates a level of trust that couldn’t have been bought

for any price in the past. Amazon is genius. But try to think of a single other company

that publicizes customer complaints or

makes it so easy for you to make your

purchase from a competitor. Exactly.

Before the Internet was born, suggesting

such a thing as serious business strategy

could have earned you

a pink slip.After viewing a book, Amazon suggests books

that other customers looked at as well.



Successful companies now provide more information than ever on their products and

services. Those who don’t understand this critical shift in consumer expectations or who

appear to be hiding information are, at best, missing out on huge potential strides in

earning trust among buyers.

Relevant Relationships

No matter how much you love it or hate it, social media is necessary for viable

businesses. It’s the Main Street of our times, where your customers are congregating,

browsing, and making purchasing decisions. If you’re not there; you virtually don’t exist—

at least in the minds of a sizable portion of your full potential market.

Yet developing and sustaining a valuable social media program takes time. And it requires

a different kind of effort than a traditional media program, which basically takes a catchy

message and adapts it to a ton of different platforms. Because social media allows a

user to virtually be in many places at once, it’s much more important to think about

what you’re putting out there (Does anyone care?), how often you post updates (Are

you driving people nuts?), what platforms you’re using (Is anyone even there?), and who

you’re reaching (Do you have the right audience?).

All of this matters a lot when creating your network—your community in the social media

world. It’s the basis of your social currency, your value to those in your network. So

when you’re building a social media program, you need to understand and remember

that the promotional strategies on which social media operate are engagement and

conversation—not straight selling.

We’ll dive deeply into considerations for social media content in Chapter 4: The Power of

Content. But for now, it’s important to know that your content needs to be interesting and

valuable to your network—or else they’ll leave you. Sales are a potential byproduct of the

relationships you build through social media, but simply pushing traditional marketing and

sales messaging through this platform isn’t going to work.

Consider Pepsi Co.’s decision to forego their advertising buy during the 2010 Super Bowl

to instead invest $20 million in a social media program called Pepsi Refresh—a program

that allows individuals and organizations to submit ideas for local-initiative grants ranging

from $5,000 to $50,000. Since winners are selected by public vote, contestants are



encouraged to promote the heck out of the Pepsi Refresh program and, obviously, beg

everyone they know to vote for their grant idea.

Cause-based marketing isn’t new, but social media gives it a boost that can help

companies leverage it in new and dramatic ways with public votes! Through its

program, Pepsi has sponsored thousands of community projects—all while dramatically

strengthening its relationships with communities throughout the US. The program shows

that Pepsi understands something that many other large corporations still don’t get:

meaningful public interaction is more important to brand loyalty than entertaining tv spots.

The payoff for Pepsi is great. Instead of being known only as a mega-company that

sells soft drinks, Pepsi is now revered as a generous benefactor for important

community initiatives. We’ll take a closer look at building your network and developing

powerful content in Chapters 3 and 4, respectively.

Emergence of Social Platforms

So where did all this come from, you ask? Well, it’s still pretty new. Web logs (or blogs)

have been around for quite some time among the ultra-geeky set, but the social media

phenomenon truly began when Facebook emerged in February 2004 and quickly

replaced MySpace, which had been among the fi rst well-known social networking

sites available. Twitter followed two years later, and the whole social media thing

roared to life. People were thrilled with these cool new ways to communicate and

regarded social networking as a way to reconnect and stay in touch with friends through

personal updates.

And this is pretty much why some people still resist using social media. The mundane

updates get tiresome if you don’t care. “I don’t need to know when you’re on the John,”

people complain. Or, “I don’t care if you’re eating at Olive Garden.”

Yet those who see past the noise recognize that the opportunities for important

interaction with social media are fantastic. For instance, while companies spend millions

each year on market research surveys and focus groups to fi nd out what customers

are thinking, consumers are now giving away this valuable data—every day. Even more

exciting, companies can engage in direct dialogue with customers to fi nd out even more!

And there are no honoraria fees to pay these respondents. Cha-ching.



But I don’t blame the non-adapters. To be honest, I’m not too interested in knowing when

my buddy is eating at Olive Garden either, unless I thought we were meeting someplace

else! I am, however, very interested in things he likes/hates about a particular place or if

something weird happens.

For example, say you ate so many breadsticks that the manager came out to check

on you. Or that you, being lactose intolerant, had Zuppa Toscana without realizing it

contains milk, which led to a disastrous dash to the men’s room. This would be material

for a good post.

Funny? Oh yeah! Embarrassing? Quite. More importantly, do you think your followers

and friends would enjoy this information? No doubt. In fact, if they’re like me, they’ll laugh

diabolically on the inside and send you a consoling note, even if it’s just to show everyone

else what an empathetic friend they are.

But what’s truly amazing is how many variations of social media websites are now

available. From a simple networking site designed for sending out personal updates,

hundreds of different sites that serve a multitude of purposes have emerged. For

instance, there are sites designed primarily for:

• Communication: blogs, social networking, advocacy, fundraising

• Collaboration: wikis, gaming, news, bookmarking

• Sharing: photographs, videos, music, presentations

• Reviews: movies, products, books, charities

• Entertainment: games, movies, books

• Monitoring: media hits, brand references, video clips

For photographers, the ability to post photos, videos, and text on various social media

sites—and make this content sharable by those in your network—is something that just

wasn’t practical through previous forms of popular media. And it can be so gratifying and

helpful to gather honest feedback on your work and ideas from other people. That’s why,

in this book, we’ll focus on the tools that are designed mainly for communication and

sharing. These powerful tools will not only help expand your market exposure; they can

also help you grow as an artist and tune-in to your audience needs from the perspective

of a business person.



Social Politics

Particularly for artists, an important element of social media is its power to provoke strong

emotional responses. The public format and real-time presence of its content make social

media a perfect tool for stirring support for causes and social movements.

Perhaps for the fi rst time in history, individuals and groups who may or may not enjoy

suffi cient resources or adequate power to launch a traditional media campaign have

the power of voice. And many are harnessing this power to create signifi cant social

movements worldwide.

Bypassing the fi lter of traditional media and other gatekeepers to public awareness, social

media makes it possible for compelling content alone—from anyone willing to put it out

there—to drive actions, whether that action is to buy, to hire, to donate … or to join,

meet, and rebel.

Two rather recent examples of how

social media has moved the dial of

public opinion and historical action

include Obama’s 2008 election and

2012 campaign and the downfall of

Mubarak in Egypt.

Barack Obama Election/

Campaign

Barack Obama was the fi rst United

States presidential candidate to

recognize the value of mobilizing

social networking as part of the

political process. Instead of running

a campaign that centered on the

typical offl ine smear ads, Obama

used social media to tell the world

his personal story. He posted

photos and videos of himself, and

he encouraged people nationwide

It was no coincidence that Obama rolled up his sleeves and omitted

a tie when he rallied volunteers in Philadelphia, “Let’s get to work!”

His humility and approachability enchanted his supporters.



to share their photos and stories online, too. He was thereby able to project himself as an

authentic, forthright, and personable guy who really “gets it.”

The comparison of socially networked campaigning and one centered on the negative,

personal-attack ads that’ve dominated the US political election process in the recent past

is something worthy of analysis. But I’ll leave that to the pundits for now.

My point here is that social media has allowed Obama to present his positions on political

issues in an intimate and engaging way to a wide variety of people. And by inspiring

people to use social media platforms to create their own videos and blog posts about

presidential messages, Obama jump started the democratic process, particularly for

younger generations who’ve not experienced much participation in the politcal process.

For the fi rst time in a long, long time, like-minded—and unlike-minded people, too!—are

conferring and debating online about our

nation’s political issues and governance.

Further, the speed of information transfer

via social media allows people to act and

react immediately. So, during Obama’s 2008

campaign, updates about political gatherings

were posted, and citizens rallied in local

communities. Those who couldn’t attend in

person rallied online. Everyone who wanted

a voice had one.

This fostered an emotional wave of renewed

trust in the US political process. And this

phenomenon earned Obama enough voter

loyalty and support to win the prize. I fi rmly

believe that this campaign fundamentally

changed national politics forever. Social

media has activated democracy like never

before in our nation’s history!

But that’s only half of the story! Aside from

organizing the Obama movement, toppling

Obama’s iPhone application keeps supporters

informed on events and allows them to make

donations with a click of a button.



his opposition and mobilizing the youth to vote, social media continues to allow Obama

to raise lots and lots of money. Ever notice that whether you’re on his Facebook page,

YouTube channel, iPhone application, or website, there is a donate button? He makes

it as easy as possible to support him. So when a person becomes emotionally charged

enough to make a difference, it can be done quite easily with a vote and credit card.

Egypt Mubarak

Another example of the potential power of social media is the resignation of former

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011, following an 18-day uprising

against his rule.

Despite the rules of martial law that banned Egypt’s citizens from protesting, which had

been in effect since 1967, organizers used Twitter and other social media to ignite the

movement to remove Mubarak from offi ce. Clearly, the sentiment of revolt had been

present in the nation prior to the social media campaign, but the communication of

logistics and the comfort of numbers gave citizens a clear call to action and knowledge

that others would be there protesting, too.

The ruler was unable to curb the momentum of this movement. And the widespread

dissemination of information about this uprising made it virtually impossible for the

international community to

look away.

Of course there are

protests, natural disasters,

and other newsworthy

events happening

throughout the world on

any given day, but this

particular uprising used

something special to

organize the citizenry and

claim the world’s attention.

Yep, it was social media.#FAIL is a common hashtag used on Twitter. It denotes “failure.”


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Oh, and did you notice how terms that are commonly used on Twitter and Facebook

were integrated into the actual protest signs? #FAIL is a term used on Twitter that

denotes failure. The protest signs provided a way for others to follow the event as it

progressed, and it demonstrates how integrated Egypt was with the world at the time

of these protests. That is, Mubarak’s association with the #FAIL hashtag became a

widespread message that was understood by many opposed to something in Egyptian

Arabic. Indeed, social media is a vernacular in itself.

As shown by these examples, social media can be quite powerful when used as part of

a communications strategy. The real-time presence of social media content fosters an

emotional trigger when content is compelling. And it can generate powerful response by

traditional media outlets, too, which can reinforce and, in many ways, legitimize a position

or story.

So I’ll say it again: social media is one of many tools that can be used in your marketing

mix. Deciding if it’s the best platform at any given time is part of the process of strategic

planning, which we’ll cover in the next chapter. Developing a strategic plan is all about

deciding what you’re trying to accomplish and mapping out the executable steps for

achieving the kind of business you envision. Let’s get started.



Do photographers really need a blog?

It’s funny that you ask me this. About a year ago, I simultaneously posed a question on

my blog and Facebook: “I’m thinking of stopping my blog and migrating everything to

Facebook. What do you (readers) think?”

Most replied by adamantly disagreeing with my thinking. They said it would be a

mistake for me to give up posting on my blog. And, ironically, all the replies were

coming from my Facebook account.

I did not stop writing my blog, and this experiment convinced me to focus more of

my energy on other forms of media, mainly Facebook. It’s important to maintain a

conversation with readers, and these conversations need to happen amongst other

readers. Right now, Facebook allows that to happen most conveniently. The blog

brings it all together and provides a central staging point.

If you write a blog, what should it say?

If you are a photographer writing a blog, I believe your blog needs to convey your

personal side in a professional way. If your clients are perusing through your website,

you need to help them feel connected to you by showing your personality. But that

does not mean you should write about anything and everything you’re doing or

thinking. There is a fi ne line between being professional and personal. The trick is

to formulate content that refl ects your professional side in a personal way. If you can

do this, then your readers will get to know you as a person and

as a photographer.

An Interview with Kenny Kim, photographer

TWITTER: @kennykim

BLOG: blog.kennykim.com

WEBSITE: kennykim.com

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/kennykimphotography

INSTAGRAM: @kenny_kim

GOOGLE+: kennykimdotcom

Socializing



How do you use social media?

I currently use social media for many facets of my life. Professionally, I use it

to connect with my clients and to share my images. Personally, I use it to keep up with

the latest news and deals and to stalk some of my favorite celebrities. Ha.

If you have only one hour a day to devote to social media, how should you

spend the Time?

Spend the time connecting with people on Facebook and sharing your images from

recent shoots. Engage with people who start threads related to your interests.

Are you afraid of negative feedback via social media ruining your credibility?

Regardless of how any negative feeds come in, there’s a lesson to be learned in each

criticism. While getting negative feedback might not be the most pleasant experience,

I welcome it and think it’s great that someone cared enough to take the time to write

something about my work. Beyond that, I try to see the perspective of the sender

to fi gure out what I can learn from the feedback. Then, rather than worrying about a

comment, I keep doing what I do, which is providing excellent services to my clients.

Hopefully my actions can show who I am and what I prioritize.

If someone disagrees with something you say on social media, how do you handle it?

Sometimes agreeing to disagree is the best policy when it comes to this. Everyone

is entitled to an opinion and to share it. A good way to handle this, in my experience,

is to paint a bigger picture and try to be in the shoes of your audience to understand

where a person is coming from. If the discussion goes out of control online, then it’s

sometimes best to resolve it through a private chat or personal discussion so you do

not clutter other people’s news feed.



Social Media Marketing for Digital Photographers

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